Red Moon
by SingerSongwriterWolf
Summary: Karin and Kenta are doing fine...or at least, they think. But things they could neverdream of are being set in motion, and Karin faces a difficult choice.
1. Prolouge: Fine

Prolouge

_**Don't own KARIN. Or anything to do with it. I'm not even sure I own this fanfic. Hmm…that's a fascinating legal question. Oh well…**_

Music: What's on My Mind-Kansas

Headstrong- Trapt

Misty Mountain Hop- Led Zepplin

It's You- Kansas

Famous Last Words-MCR

Pressing On-Reliant K

Whispers in the Dark- Skillet

Come Sail Away- Styx

I Believe- Third Day

Simple Man- Lynnrd Skynrd

You Know You're Right- Nirvana

My Spirit Will Go On-Dragonforce

"But Maki!" Karin complained loudly, "It's so embarrassing!"

"You have to do it!" Maki insisted, brooking no arguments. "It's an absolute must!"

They walked side by side by side, down the street to Maki's house. This welcome day off from Julian's had become not so welcome fast. It was like a nightmare! _She knows I can't! How can she suggest this?_

"I do not have to! I can't, even I wanted to!"

Maki sighed in an overly dramatic way and rolled her eyes. She took on the tone of a mother to an ignorant, persistent child. "You don't _have _to, true…but think about it for just a moment and ask yourself: _what would Usui-kun think? _Hmm?"

Karin frowned, thinking. "I can't do that…but I don't want to make Usui-kun unhappy, either." _Why does this kind of thing always happen to me? _She lamented silently.

"Then it's all decided and final!" Maki announced cheerfully, grabbing her friends hand, and hurrying. " Don't worry, I promise you two will have a great time! Come Friday, you'll know everything, I promise!" she claimed triumphantly, pulling Karin along, who was flustered and who's arm hurt now.

"With my help, what could possibly go wrong?"

_Somehow, _Karin thought miserably, _I have the impression a lot could go wrong._

_No matter how many time I see it, I still can't believe it. _Kenta thought as he watched his mother cheerfully humming to herself as she went to another table to take an order. It was weird, watching her be so cheerful and happy. He guessed it was for the better, but she was so energetic… _At least she seems to be doing good at this job. The manager here hasn't tried to make advances and I don't have to work as much to pay for utilities. _His mother waved at him from across the diner and he waved back and gave a little smile. _Her smile seems more real now._

_I've felt different myself, actually. _Ever since the lake, he'd felt better, more lighthearted. More…everything, really. It was barely noticeable, but he did notice it. Now he knew what his mom had experienced, at least the physical part of it. It was surprising that he could think about that, seeing Karin and his mother, and not feel uncomfortable. _Maybe it's because I've been there as well, done that. _As he walked to the next table to take an order, he felt the tiny indentions at his neck and wondered why they didn't hurt much. At first, they'd been sore but the pain had faded after a day or so. "Your order, sir?"

The two men at the table looked up and one of them ordered two cheeseburgers, as well as a few other side dishes and smaller things. The other ordered the soup of the day and a few appetizers. When he was done taking the order, he realized they had ordered enough to feed at least three people. When he pointed that out to them, the one to his right grinned and agreed with him. "We're very hungry," he chuckled, and Kenta shrugged it off. _Oh well. If they want to eat it all, who am I to stop them?_

He glanced around for a second as he left, only to stop himself. Karin wasn't here today; it was her day off. Karin had mumbled something noncommittal about studying for the Final Exam but he wondered if she really would. Surprisingly, they were supposed to be study at her house, not Maki's after they picked up a few things. _I may be used to and accept that she's a vampire, but her house is still a little scary. Karin's little sister, Anju…she gives me the creeps sometimes. She was scary enough before she awakened as a vampire, but now she's even quieter and she's always watching._

_Oh well, _he dismissed his thoughts, _maybe I'll go see her when my shift ends…_

The two men sat together in an isolated corner of the diner, talking softly in a language none of the other patrons could possibly recognize.

"Have you gotten a hint of them?"

"None. Absolutely nothing. They have to be here somewhere…but you how it is. Their scent fades quickly, and it's so feint in the first place…"

The man who had spoken first nodded in sympathy. He was tanned, and he wore a simple t-shirt and pants riddled with holes. Both his clothes and his hair were dirty, greasy and generally unkempt. He was slouched back against the window, his legs sprawled all over the seat. His eyes were a cold, intense blue and his hair was a long black mess. His friend looked nothing like him, the only similarities being their general lack of regard for hygiene. His friend, who had black hair with white highlights all through it, brushed the long part which covered one eye and sneered as he spoke, "Filthy bloodsuckers. I looked everywhere in the commercial district. That should be where I'd find the scent. I found nothing," he countenance fell suddenly and he looked down. "I am sorry I failed you."

The other man, who was older, laid his hand on the younger man's head and spoke quietly in his blonde comrade's native tongue, Norwegian. "_It's alright. You are forgiven. You have only recently fallen under the shadow we all face. You may be young, but you will find them."_

He switched back to his own tongue, French and continued. "We will search elsewhere, then. I have heard rumors in what small a community this area has of a Vampire Hunter, maybe even several. I shall procure his…_help._"

He laughed grimly as he fingered the small figurine at the end of his necklace, the symbol of his clan.


	2. The Calm Before

_**Don't own Karin, related characters, etc…I own nothing, absolutely nothing, not even my music. :P**_

_**Music:**_

Learning to Breathe-Switchfoot

Only Hope- Switchfoot

Happy is a Yuppie Word- Switchfoot

Oh! Gravity- Switchfoot

Meant To Live- Switchfoot

This is your Life- Switchfoot

Stand in the Rain- Superchick

The Logical Song- Supertramp

I'm not Okay (I Promise)- My Chemical Romance

_**PLEASE REVIEW! Please!!!!**_

Even after practicing, Karin still couldn't do it. She was just too clumsy, plain and simple. Her footwork was horrible, and she couldn't remember what to do. But at least Maki knew now what to do.

"I give up," she said, tiredly.

"Maki-kun, please don't give up on me!" Karin begged.

Sighing, she thought about it before getting to her feet. One more try wouldn't hurt, she supposed. "Okay, listen up. I'll make this as easy as it gets. Look, stand still." Karin did as she was told and Maki came up to her and stood in front of her, their noses almost touching. "Wrap your arms around my waist…good. See? Nothing fancy. Just wait for a slow song. Just follow, it's really easy. Just follow and stay close. Can you do that?"

"Yes-"

"Onee-chan?"

Both girls jumped, hitting their heads against each other and falling back, rubbing their foreheads. Anju stood in the doorway, watching with a slightly curious, but otherwise emotionless stare. Karin, flushed, was quick to her feet. "Anju? I told you to knock when company is here!"

"What were you doing, Onee-chan?"

"Nothing!" she almost shouted, embarrassed. The last thing she needed was-

"Karin here," Maki said, in a gossipy tone, "can't dance at all. Not even a little bit. Prom at our school is coming up in about a week, and if she can't dance, well…" she let the sentence hang in the air and glanced back at Karin, who's imagination raced.

She groaned. "What if Usui-kun is sad or mad or…I have to keep him happy!"

Maki nodded, not bothering to comment. She knew why, of course, or at least she had an inkling. What Winner had revealed to her almost a month and a half ago had laid heavily on her mind. His sincerity…at the time, she'd believed every word, every syllable. The helpless, pained look in the blond youth's eyes couldn't have held anything but absolute and total truth.

She had examined all of what she knew of her best friend with that in mind. How she was almost never invited over…her family's oddness, her parent's European names…it even explained how Karin's little sister was never to be found in the day-time.

She studied Karin as the girl complained about the unfairness of it all, laughing, because to be quite honest; it was immensely funny. Inside, though, she analyzed. Her heart believed Winner with every ounce, but was that because she had truly seen truth there, or had her love made her willing to accept his every word?

She didn't know, and maybe it wasn't a good idea to dwell on it right now. Even Karin, oblivious Karin, might notice if she became too lost in thought.

"Karin!"

A shrill voice caught all their attentions, and they looked towards the source, who was actually not there, so the wall serviced as a replacement. "You have a visitor, Kenta is here!"

Had she been anyone else, anything else, Karin might have paled. Instead, she skipped that part and just panicked. "Get out my books, Anju, open a few or something! Oooh…" she worried. Obviously, Maki noted, she wanted Usui-kun to think she'd been studying. _Does she honestly think that Usui-kun is going to guess she can't dance just because she wasn't studying? _She smiled as she helped pull out random notes to create the illusion of hard work. _Karin's so oblivious sometimes that she ends up thinking everyone is the exact opposite._

They heard footsteps and as Kenta entered, Karin was, to a casual observer, studying intently. Maki welcomed him warmly. "Hello, Usui-kun!"

"Hi," he said, and Karin looked up. "Kenta-kun!" she said, and hugged him. Surprised and pleased, he hugged back and then sat down across from them, never noticing Anju behind him.

"I'm surprised you're actually studying. I'd thought you wouldn't," he said with a smile and Karin pretended to look offended. It only made him laugh as it did Maki.

The man had something about him; his walk, his manner, something that set him apart. He had bright golden eyes that shone with an intensity that was magnetic. His hair was short around the sides but was long in the front, covering one eye with a longish white streak of hair. If you looked closely, you could tell that his hair was growing out into a mess and that soon it'd be as messed up as his comrade's. His pants and shoes were holed and his black shirt with a smiling face on it and jacket all had an air of unkemptness about him.

He wasn't actively searching, just walking along amongst the houses. He had to know what the place looked like in the day. Something that looked like a friendly neighborhood during the day could become a death trap in the dark. He'd seen it before, in the City. It was the reason he and his companions had always stuck to the red light district and the older parts of the City. There was always light to see by there.

Here, now, in this city, everything was new and different. He'd scoped out the school already and he'd been enrolled the day before. With any luck, he'd be in the right school. Even in a city this size, there weren't enough schools that the younger ones, like himself, couldn't infiltrate them all. He didn't care for school, never had. HE didn't have a discipline problem, not considering his upbringing, but he still didn't like them. They bored him. They held no real attraction to him.

He yawned and looked at the sky. The sun was falling fast. He headed west. This particular area was pretty big, and he knew it would take several days to finish his sweep of it all, especially working at night only.

But he would find the one he sought. He just hoped he found her sooner rather than later and before time was up.

_Better for all involved._


	3. Inconviences

Disclaimer: Don't Own Karin. At all…not even a little bit.

Music:

"Crazy Train" By Ozzy Osbourne

"Things Left Unsaid" By Disciple

"Pressing On" By Reliant K

"Sadie Hawkins Dance" By Reliant K

"Come Sail Away" By Styx

"Look at the Time" By Kansas

"Stand in the Rain" By Superchick

"Our Lady of Sorrows" My Chemical Romance

"DanI California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"I am Free" by Various Artists (lol)

"I Believe" by Third Day

"Crazy on You" By Heart

"Breathe into Me" By RED

It was a warm day, the clouds moving lazily across the blue sky. Karin liked how they seemed so peaceful. The sun was bright, but of course that was no problem for her. She was fine, despite being a little hot. It had been hotter than usual this summer.

As usual, they ate alone on the roof. Karin watched intently as Kenta opened his box lunch. She fervently hoped he liked it. Even if keeping her blood from increasing wasn't as much of a problem now, she still wanted him to be happy.

When he saw what was inside, a small smile grew on his face. "It looks great, Karin," he said, and felt herself flush with embarrassed pleasure. They ate in moderately comfortable silence for awhile, until Kenta broke the silence. "So…are you looking forward to summer, Karin?" he asked, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Definitely! It'll be nice to not have to study. I just wish it would come sooner!" she said, and he laughed at her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Same here," he said, and she shrugged and pulled out her own box lunch. _It still feels weird to be saying "Karin" and not "Maaka", _Kenta thought to himself. _I've been calling her Maaka for a long time, so I guess I'll be used to it eventually._

"Well." he continued, surprising himself as much as her, "you have any plans this weekend?" He said it in a casual tone, trying to gauge her reaction. The way she froze and flushed confirmed what he'd thought. That was what she did when she was nervous about something. When he'd walked in her room the day before, he'd knew they'd been talking about him because she'd not immediately reacted to his presence. She should've been able to hear him as soon as he was in the house, with her vampire-ness and all, but she hadn't.

"Um…well," the words were uncertain and a little awkward, "I'm not…did you have something in mind?" She finished lamely.

He grinned and now felt a little awkward himself. He'd never been in one place in a school big enough to have much experience doing this kind of thing. "Well…the dance is on Friday and I was wondering…"

The bell startled Kenta into jumping up, and Karin, who'd been near him, tripped as she walked. Kenta only barely avoiding spilling his lunch everywhere. When the initial shock wore off, Kenta found his momentum had worn off and that it was hard to pick up where he'd left off.

"Um…we should be getting to class," he said, copping out. She nodded and he reached down to help her up. As she took his hand, Karin noticed it felt warm and marveled how it was so much easier, being near Kenta-kun. She felt a tiny bit of excitement when she was on her feet and near him, but her blood did not suddenly increase in response to his misfortune. It was nice, being able to be more comfortable with Kenta.

As they walked down the steps, Kenta's courage came back to him and he began to ask Karin once again. "Karin, I-"

"Karin-san!"

Startled yet again, he had little warning before Winner ran over him in his quest to be as near Karin as possible. "Ah, Karin-San! I have been looking for you! I needed to ask you-"

Winner himself was interrupted as a crowd of students came thought the halls and flowed up and down the stairs, forcing them all along with the current.

Once they were back in class, Kenta glared at Winner. _What an idiot,_ he thought to himself. Winner, the idiot in question, was staring at Karin, entranced as always. Kenta wasn't as mad as one might expect, not after all this time. Winner did this kind of thing everyday and Kenta had given up on avoiding and/or stopping Winner. All in all, he endured it mostly because, despite his persistence, Winner was a friend, in an odd, annoying, slightly inconvenient way. Sure, he was ridiculous and even more clueless than Karin, but when push had come to shove and Karin and Kenta needed him at the Lake, he'd come through. Without him, Kenta would've never gotten to Karin when she went crazy. Who knows what might've happened? Outside of mostly distracting everyone involved and getting Karin out of her bloodlust, he hadn't done much. But whjat if he hadn't distracted Karin and the Vampire Hunter Victor? Victor had several tricks left under his sleeves (literally) and Karin wouldn't have just gotten better like her family. Her body was adept at healing, to be sure, but not that good at it.

So…Kenta endured. And glared.

He ended up doing that a lot, actually, as long as Winner was around.

_Karin… _Winner thought, absorbed and infatuated as ever. As usual, he didn't really pay attention to what was happening in class.

Not everything was as usual, though. A lot about Winner had changed, even if on the outside he was his same enthusiastic, ridiculous self. Learning that Karin, his Karin, was a vampire, the creature of the night he had hated without reason and sworn to kill… it had shattered his perceptions of reality. All of what he held dear, gone.

Maki said something to Karin, and she laughed. Winner stared at the tips of those retracted fangs, smaller than what he'd been looking for. It was pathetic, how he'd never noticed. True, they were only barely showing, but still…he had been looking for Vampires, hadn't he?

_Or was I? I always knew they existed…but did I ever really look for them, really? What am I doing? Karin… _he grimaced, looking away for a moment, down at his desk. He traced a small line where the wood of his desk was discolored. _We see what we want to see, we humans. _

His eyes wandered to Maki of their own accord. He remembered telling her everything, and he wondered if she had truly believed him. Did Karin know how far her secret had spread? Why had he told her, anyhow? What had possessed him to tell someone who's name he couldn't remember at the time everything he'd never even thought to fear?

Watching her now reminded him of her tears then and he could almost hear her crying…and he could swear he could almost taste that kiss…

The feeling in his chest thinking about her…it was unnerving. _Exactly what is this…?_


End file.
